New equipment to protect mums and babies at Harrogate Hospital

A successful fundraising appeal by the Friends of Harrogate Hospital will help protect new mums and babies from a dangerous condition.
A successful fundraising appeal by Friends of Harrogate Hospital has boosted patient care at Harrogate Hospital.A successful fundraising appeal by Friends of Harrogate Hospital has boosted patient care at Harrogate Hospital.
A successful fundraising appeal by Friends of Harrogate Hospital has boosted patient care at Harrogate Hospital.

The nearly two-year long campaign to raise £94,080 for a RetCam3 machine will save both mother and child from having to go to Leeds or Hull for tests straight after birth and will enable follow-on checks also to be carried out in Harrogate.

Andy Wilkinson, chair of Friends of Harrogate Hospital, said: “It’s great news. The RetCam3 has arrived in the hospital and is undergoing engineering and training routines before it is used.“It will be used to diagnose eye conditions in premature babies such as Retinopathy of Prematurity which if untreated can cause blindness.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The new imaging system in the hospital’s ophthalmology department also enables the early detection of eye cancers such as retinoblastom, a rare type of eye cancer which most commonly affects children under the age of five.The equipment will be handed over officially on September 2.

The fundraising appeal saw great efforts by not only Friends of Harrogate Hospital but also manay members of the hospital department itself.

A major success along the way was a traditional Variety Show held in the Royal Hall last year starring famous Yorkshire comedian Billy Pearce.

More than £6,000 towards the total was also raised by a series of classic rock nights at Starling Bar in Harrogate, organised by hi-fi expert Colin Paine.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The next event, featuring Queen's Greatest Hits, will take place on Wednesday, September 18.

.A new campaign by Friends of Harrogate Hospital is now underway to raise £20,000 for an Innosight Ultrasound Scanner and has currently raised nearly £2,000.

If successful, the new equipment would improve patient care for mothers-to-be.

With this scanner, the gynaecologist could do the scan and diagnose any problem all in one appointment, saving the patient having to worry about additional appointments and an anxious wait for diagnosis.

Related topics: